Question

1. a teacher places a cup of coffee onto an electronic balance at the front of the science laboratory. the teacher then adds three large teaspoons of sugar to the coffee. the volume of the coffee does not appear to increase. what happens to the mass displayed on the front of the balance? (1 pt)

Explanation:

Step1: Consider the law of conservation of mass

The mass of the system (coffee + cup + sugar) is the sum of the masses of its components.

Step2: Analyze the addition of sugar

When sugar is added to the coffee in the cup on the balance, the total mass of the system increases because sugar has mass. The fact that the volume of the coffee does not appear to increase is due to the sugar dissolving (sugar molecules fitting into the spaces between coffee molecules), but mass is still added.

Answer:

The mass displayed on the balance increases.